'Respect or obedience?': Mom proves how easy 'conscious parenting' can be by using it on a nosey old man at the library

Elna McHilderson • Managing Editor

Jul 23, 2023 1:00 PM EDT

Only recently has it become somewhat mainstream for adults to encourage their children to question authority. Was this because of the hippies or the punks back in the day? Or does this date way back to the "rebels" during the revolutionary war? If history has proven anything, it is that questioning authority has its perks. However, just like everything else in life, it's important to find balance. So how does a parent teach their kid to know when to question authority and when to be obedient? A mother and a professional stress coach for parents experience a perfect situation IRL where she was able to explain the differences between respect and obedience, and show how easy it can be to be a "conscious parent" over an "authoritarian parent."

The mom and stress coach was minding her own business at the library while her toddler played in the kid's section. She was sitting at a table wearing a cap down low and keeping an eye on her kid. All of a sudden, an older gentleman went up to her and scolded her for wearing a hat indoors and said it was "disrespectful." Instead of feeling embarrassed or defensive, she turned to her "conscious parenting" techniques, and simply questioned him. She asked him, "what does being respectful mean to you?" The older man looked puzzled, but responded by saying being respectful meant listening to your elders and doing what they ask of you. She said very calmly and almost quizzically, "that doesn't sound like respect, that sounds like obedience." The two ended up actually having a pleasant conversation and it ended with them shaking hands and her wishing the older gentleman a pleasant day. Every parent has a unique parenting style that works best for them, and maybe that's conscious parenting? What would you do?